Automobile lock



July 19, 1932. o. s, HERSHEY -1',s67,s31

' AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed May 23. 1930 Patented i July 19, 1932 UNITEDsTATas PATENT OFFICE ORVILLE S. HERSHEY, F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO"OAKES PRODUCTS COR- PORATION, OF NORTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK Application med may 2a,

with a consequent reduction in manufacturing cost. With such a lock Imay associate an electrical switch adapted to control the niotorignition circuit, for example. 'lhe lock herein shown is of thetwo-stage type in that the switch and bolt are sequentially operated, itbeing impossible to advance the bolt until after the switch is opened,and vice-versa.

A suggestive embodimcntof this invention is set forth in theaccompanying drawing in the manner following.:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through a steering column with whichis associated the present lock and switch, theformer of which is alsoshown in section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough on line 2 of Fig. l;

Fin'. 3 is alongitudinal section through the lock body on line 3 of Fig.1;

F ig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken centrally through theswitch per se;

F ig. 5 is a transverse section through the switch on line 5 of Fig. 4;

F ig. 6 is a similar view in section on line 6 of Fig. 4; and l Fig. 7is a plan view ofthe thrust plate for the central rod.

The present lock may be contained within a casing A which, in the formshown, is provided with a collar 10 adapted to surround a steeringcolumn B. Extending within the column is the usual post C forconnecting' the steering wheel with the swiveled running wheels at thefront of the vehicle. Secured 'fast to the post C is a bushing D whereinis a groove or socket 11 which maybe brought into register with acorresponding opening formed in the column. Extending laterally from thelock casing is an arm 12 forming a bracket for connection with a dash orinstrument board,.or other fixed part of the vehicle, whereby to providea support tor the column.

Within the lock casing is a cylindrical aperture in which is mounted ahollow plunger l5 wherein is slidingly received a locking bolt 17iattened at one side to provide a re- 1930. Serial N0. 454,955.

cess having at one end a stop shoulder with which may engage a plate"18carried by the plunger. By this means I limit the movement of the boltoutwardly from the plunger. A compression spring 19- within the lungerbears with pressure against one endpof the bolt so as to project thesame yieldingly to locking position. Reciprocatory movements of' theplunger are controlled b a lock cylin der 20 operable with a key 21 wlich is specially designed therefor. The cylinder is disposed with itsaXis transversely to that of the plunger, and carries upon its rear orinner end an eccentric 22 slidably disposed within a cross slot 23 inthe plunger whereby to impart longitudinal movements thereto when thelocking cylinder is rotated. It is contemplated that the key shall beremovable from the lock cylinder only in either of its extremepositions, which, as shown, are 180 degrees apart.

Extending through the lock body between its front and rear faces and inpartial intersection with the plunger is a control rod 425, the upperend of which is turned to provide an operating head 26 b which the rodmay be conveniently rotate In order that the plunger and rod may cleareach other while remaining in intersecting relation, I provide in theformer an arc-shaped surface cut 27 and in the. latter a cooperatingilat surface cut 28 which provide in effect a pair of independentlyacting cams. By turning the rod so as to face its cut 28 directly towardthe plunger (see Figure 3), the latter is free to advance in response torotation of the lock cylinder; and when the plunger is so ad.

vanced tomove the bolt 17 .into locking position, the plunger cut 27 isremoved from the control rod so that 'the latter is locked againstrotation (see Figure 2). With thel parts so related, the plunger onlycan be operated through the medium of the lock cylinder key 21.` Areverse condition obtains, however, when the plunger is retracted andthe control 10d is rotated to turn its cut 28 awa f trom the plunger. Inthis condition of t e parts, the plunger is locked, and ad- Figure 5.Secured to the proximate face of the lock body is a switch unit E,inwhich is comprised a drag plate 32 having a cross slot 33 wherein thelug 31 may engage. By this connection, rotary movements of the controlrod 25 are transformed into reciprocations of the drag plate to move anassociated switch block 34 into and out of contact with termi p nals 35.

vals

The switch block, as shown, consists of a plate of insulating material36 having openings 37, and into which are fitted projectionsfrom thedrag plate, and a conductor plate 38 attached, as by a rivet 39, totheinsulating plate 36. The ends .of the conductor plate are cup-shapedto receive coil springs 40, the

opposite ends of each spring being received within suitable sockets 41in the lnsulating plate.

I'provlde with the switch plate ahousing 50 which is generallybox-shaped having lug extensions 42 from its side walls to clamp -overthe edges of a cover 43, which ma be made of insulating material, and tow ich are attached the terminals 35. The bottom of the switch housing iscut away at 44 to permit the lug 31 to enter therein and coact with thedrag plate 32. A plate 45 (see Figure 7) may be interposed'between theswitch unit E and the proximate face of the lock body to close theopening provided therein for the washer 30 and to act as a thrust plateAfor thecontrol rod 25. Formed in this plate is an opening 46 to permitthe lug 31 to extend into the switch unit, and other openings 47 `aremade therein to receive the bolts 48 which secure the switch tothe lockbody.'

The switch may be operated through the medium of the control rod25 whenthe plun er 7 in the position shown in Figs. 1 an j 3,

ut with the plunger advanced to locked position, as shown in Fig. 2,this control rod isso that the switchprevented `from turnin block 34 isretained in tlie open position.

The present device is extremely easy to assemble, is simple inconstruction, is positive in its action, and provides a simple meansfor. sequential operation of the lock and switch controls.

I claim:

1. In combination with a lock mechanism, an electrical switch in whichis comprised a housing furnishing aninsulated mounting for fixedcontacts, a conductor platemovhaving a depending eccentric lug 31 whichprojects outwardly as shown in having a notch located in .prised ahousing furnishing an insulated mounting for a pair of fixed contacts, aconductor late movable to a position for engaging bot contacts,insulated means to which the conductor plate is inseparably joined andfrom which it is projected by spring means, a control in operativeconnection with the insulated means for operating the conductor plate,and means interconnecting the control with the lock mechanism in amanner whereby the former is subject to operation oi the latter. l

3. In an automobile lock, the combination with a steeringpost of anaxially shiftable y locking bolt therefor, a switch, -a controlling rodfor saidv switch extending transversely of said locking bolt, saidswitch being controlled by the axial rotation of said rod, said lockingbolt having a transverse notch, said switch controlling rod extending inone position thereof into said notch to prevent shifting of said bolt,said switch controlling rod another position of said rod to be oppositesaid locking bolt to permit reciprocation -of said bolt, said bolt whenshifted to displace its notch from said rod engaging in the rod notch tolock' said rod a ainst rotation. j

4. combination with a lock mechanism, a control, means interconnectingthe lock mechanism with the control in a manner whereby the latter issubject to operation of j the former, an electrical switch operatively105 associated with the control mechanism, there bein an opening in thehousing through whic the control may pass to establish operativeconnection with the switch, a pair of fixed contacts for the switchhaving an in 116 vsulated mounting' within said housing, a` movableconductor -plate for the switch, adapted to close a circuit between thetwo contacts when moved to one position by the control, and means,independent of the con- 115.

able to a position for engaging the contacts,

a drag means or urging the conductor plate away from the drag platetoward the contacts, a

late for the conductor plate, spring f

